I mean that is what the threads about right? Seems logical to me that if you wanna have the same success (as defined by his build) then you should follow the same patterns of lifestyle he lives. Works that way in many aspects of life.

So eat 50-100g of carbs PB style a day, move to Malibu, take up snow boarding and do 30 minutes of exercise a day alternating between body weight and compound weights. Seems to me like this would do the trick.

A lot of people say around here "What works for you doesn't necessarily work for me." But what is the context of that quotation?

We are all different - mentally. Physically, we are almost all the same. What works for me physically will almost certainly work for you physically. What changes are our inner conflicts. We all have different jobs, lifestyles, cravings, etc. Maybe you don't like chicken breast. Maybe you hate eggs. Maybe you love running. Maybe you hate lifting weights. That's all personal stuff and it's where the variance comes in. We all operate off of calories. What differs is the type of calories we enjoy and how much we need.

Mark's lifestyle "works for him" because he found something that delivered good results that he can maintain every day because he enjoys it. He could look exactly the same eating 15% of his calories from fat if he wanted. But he'd clearly be miserable on that diet, so he wouldn't be able to maintain it and it would blow up in his face. Care to tell me what the typical macro ratios are for competition bodybuilders?

20% fat
40% protein
40% carbohydrate

Because that is what is easiest to lean out on for the most part. It's easiest to get lean cutting fat out of your diet because fat is directly stored as body fat, unlike carbohydrate. Carbohydrate also delivers more explosive power as a fuel source, making it better for a weight lifter.

But who ENJOYS eating 20% fat? That's not a lifestyle I want to live. I hover around 35% fat because that's just the way it seems to work and allows me to eat any whole food in whatever quantity I please.

Adhering to Mark's macros is not the way to look like Mark. Experimenting with every type of macro ratio until you find one that allows you to eat the least amount of calories enjoyably is what will work diet-wise. If that's truly low carb/high fat, do that. If it's low fat/high carb, do that. If it's a mix like me (and I think for most people it will be a mix), do that.

For a workout, experiment with every type of exercise until you find something you can do 3-4 times a week and ENJOY IT so you can maintain it the rest of your life. If that's lifting weights, do that. If it's lots of cardio, then damn it it's better than nothing. If it is Zumba and hot yoga, which you wouldn't catch me dead doing, do that. If that's what it takes to get you off your ass every day, then God bless you. You don't have to sprint and lift heavy things if that means you're going to hate life, find excuses to stay away from the gym and not do it. Do I think lifting weights and sprinting is the most effective? Yes, on paper, but if you won't go do it or you dislike it so much you'll do your workout half-assed, then it won't work for you. You have to love it so you give it your all and keep at it.

My issue is when you're so caught up in a paradigm you won't let yourself find out what truly works for you. So try everything. You may find what you think works best for you...isn't working. It happened to be so many times. Stubbornness will be your downfall. IMO, this is the biggest downfall of the Primal Blueprint. The stress on the Carbohydrate Curve and "fat being the preferred fuel" really hurts a lot of people because it takes away the message of "simply eat real, whole food" and it scares people into finding out what truly works for them. I wasn't successful until I strayed away from the Primal Blueprint macro template and I took it as simply a "whole foods" message. I am convinced spreading this sentiment will help many of us who have hit the wall, and I'm going to keep spreading that sentiment because I've seen it work too many times.

Last edited by ChocoTaco369; 01-21-2013 at 08:22 AM.

Don't put your trust in anyone on this forum, including me. You are the key to your own success.

Then maybe you should yell at them for trying to pick a fight that had no place instead of yelling at me since I was speaking in context of the conversation. If you actually read, it's typically me getting berated by the keto-Nazis when I'm operating in context of the conversation. I rarely pick fights, and it is incredibly annoying when the religious zealots come in and try and dissuade healthy people from eating real food - much less the staple foods of most traditional societies - because they have a history of overeating, poor gut health, a general phobia or an agenda to push that they outright lie about. But why blame yourself when you can blame a foodgroup and not accept responsibility for your actions? I find it amazing how suddenly people on keto are eating chicken breast and sweet potatoes when it is the convenient counterpoint to your argument. I don't believe that story for a second (or the 75-100g of starch story, either). Trolls will be trolls, and I know a lie when I see it most of the time.

Hyperbole much?

Poor poor beleaguered Choco. Are those keto-nazis being mean to you again?

All Ayla did was point out that you should not generalize what works for you to everyone else and you call her a liar about what she had for dinner?

Carbs are such an easy target for elimination. They are easy to identify and easy to avoid. Lots of people come to PB from a LC background.

Since I started eating a pound of starch a day, I have enjoyed so many benefits it's unreal. Better bowels, better workouts, less hunger, stable weight, and lower overall calories.

A pound of starch sounds incredible, but it's only around 120g carbs.

I have found eating 1 pound of potatoes, 1 pound of meats, and 1 pound of veggies keeps me around 1300 calories, plenty of room for other treats like chocolate, wine, fruit, nuts, and butter/CO for cooking in. It's a very intuitive way to eat, too. Just use enough butter/CO to cook with and eat all the fat on your meat and you are golden.

You keep up the Pro-starch argument Choco! You're slowly turning people, but you are!

I tried to eat starch (three small sweet potatoes) and hurt so bad by day three I actually went to the ER. For the first time in my life. They found nothing, sent me home, and twelve hours later after much labor, I peed brown exploding water out of my butt for a few hours. Haven't felt that terrible in a very long time. So I'm working back up to starch-consumption, having a banana a day only gives me minimal diarrhea and a little bloat. I'm honestly giving this a few more weeks. When it still isn't working, then I'll swear off starch again. Until then, new underwear every day! I'm probably an idiot for listening to you guys and even trying this...

Poor poor beleaguered Choco. Are those keto-nazis being mean to you again?

All Ayla did was point out that you should not generalize what works for you to everyone else and you call her a liar about what she had for dinner?

WTF dude? Get a grip.

Don't worry, you don't have to feel sorry for me. I have already reached and exceeded all my goals, I have nothing I'm looking to change or modify at this point in time because it's all working effortlessly. The problem with y'all is you give you typically horrible, backwards advise because you plant your "special flower syndrome" in the back of everyone's minds and it really, really holds them back.

I just went through an argument with her a few days ago. In that argument, she was on her 3rd week of strict ketosis and had never felt better in her life. Now a few days later she's off keto and eating chicken breast and sweet potatoes. And I need to get a grip? Drop your biases and actually read. Her situation changes as to what is convenient to the argument at the time. Funny how that happens.

Don't put your trust in anyone on this forum, including me. You are the key to your own success.

Don't worry, you don't have to feel sorry for me. I have already reached and exceeded all my goals, I have nothing I'm looking to change or modify at the point in time because it's all working effortlessly. The problem with y'all is you give you typically horrible, backwards advise because you plant your "special flower syndrome" in the back of everyone's minds and it really, really holds them back.

I just went through an argument with her a few days ago. In that argument, she was on her 3rd week of strict ketosis and had never felt better in her life. Now a few days later she's off keto and eating chicken breast and sweet potatoes. And I need to get a grip? Drop your biases and actually read. Her situation changes as to what is convenient to the argument at the time. Funny how that happens.

I've reached and exceeded all my goals too. So what?
It's not about special flowers it's about broad brushstrokes. Your way does NOT work for every BODY. Why do you find that concept so hard to get your head around?

Also, news flash, it is possible to be in ketosis and eat a small quantity of sweet potato. But you had to call her a liar.

And I know a lot about Ayla's situation as we are friends, She has been doing really well on ketosis. Why does it bug you so much that someone could be well and happy by another method than yours?

I tried to eat starch (three small sweet potatoes) and hurt so bad by day three I actually went to the ER. For the first time in my life. They found nothing, sent me home, and twelve hours later after much labor, I peed brown exploding water out of my butt for a few hours. Haven't felt that terrible in a very long time. So I'm working back up to starch-consumption, having a banana a day only gives me minimal diarrhea and a little bloat. I'm honestly giving this a few more weeks. When it still isn't working, then I'll swear off starch again. Until then, new underwear every day! I'm probably an idiot for listening to you guys and even trying this...

With your gut in the condition it is in, you may want to seriously consider having your gut flora tested. You really may be a candidate for a fecal transplant.

Yea, it sounds gross and all, but a healthy gut is just so important. Swearing off starch doesn't fix the problem, it just gets around the symptom. IMO I'd rather treat the ailment then just try and avoid the biggest trigger because you're probably having other issues you're not realizing.

Don't put your trust in anyone on this forum, including me. You are the key to your own success.

I've reached and exceeded all my goals too. So what?
It's not about special flowers it's about broad brushstrokes. Your way does NOT work for every BODY. Why do you find that concept so hard to get your head around?

Thank you for commenting without reading what I've actually written. But to address your concern - if you cannot digest a certain food group (of real food), the fault is your body, not the food. At this point, it is best to explore options to correct this and heal yourself, not just swear off a completely healthy food altogether. And what you don't seem to understand is the typical sentiment around here does not allow everyone to try everything. Most people do not know what works best for them because they haven't found it yet.

Originally Posted by Paleobird

Also, news flash, it is possible to be in ketosis and eat a small quantity of sweet potato. But you had to call her a liar.

Read. You cannot consume 75-100g of starch and be in ketosis.

Originally Posted by Paleobird

And I know a lot about Ayla's situation as we are friends, She has been doing really well on ketosis. Why does it bug you so much that someone could be well and happy by another method than yours?

Nothing bugs me. As you are always the one coming at me, I can only assume it's me that makes you feel threatened.

Don't put your trust in anyone on this forum, including me. You are the key to your own success.

Yea, it sounds gross and all, but a healthy gut is just so important. Swearing off starch doesn't fix the problem, it just gets around the symptom. IMO I'd rather treat the ailment then just try and avoid the biggest trigger because you're probably having other issues you're not realizing.

Yep, Knifegill, you should have a poop transplant just so your body can better digest a substance you don't need in the first place and were doing just fine without.

Let's all cut those things out of our diet because we don't "need them." You'll be "just fine."

"Surviving" versus "thriving." There is a difference between living and living optimally. You will not achieve your maximum potential on an exclusionary diet. If you want to be a fraction of what you could be, then remove perfectly healthy food from your diet and avoid your problems instead of fixing them. I choose to give my body what it needs in whole form so it is not forced to use secondary metabolic pathways to convert an overabundance of something it doesn't need into something it needs desperately to survive. If you choose to run on half a tank of gas and survive on life processes your body doesn't prefer to survive on, it's your freedom to do so. I choose to perform as well as I can, look as good as I can and minimize stress. That's why I do what I do.

Don't put your trust in anyone on this forum, including me. You are the key to your own success.